Saving Money on Your Home Energy Bills

These days, it seems like just about everybody is worried about saving money. And while there are some areas that you can completely eliminate (like diamond-studded anything), there are other expenses you still need to keep. For example, it’s probably not a good time to give up food.

Another necessity is your home energy. You need light, you need water, and you need heat or AC (or, in some parts of the country, you need both – on the day). But maybe you don’t need that much light, water, heat, or AC.

Here are a few tips to help you keep your expenses low. And none of these will leave you in the dark

•When purchasing appliances make sure they have the Energy Star seal of approval. These appliances are built to be energy efficient.  For example, Energy Star-certified dryers use about 20% less energy than conventional models without sacrificing features or performance, saving $215 in energy costs over its lifetime.1Energy Star approved light bulbs last at least 15 times longer and save about $50 in electricity costs over its lifetime – and that’s per lightbulb.2

•Make sure you have a digit thermostat so that you can control its usage and even program it to save energy. The ideal temperature setting in winter is 68 degrees Fahrenheit (lower when you are out of the house) and in summer 76 degrees Fahrenheit (higher when you are out of the house).

•Close doors and windows when using your AC or heat and block off the vents to unused rooms. There’s really no need to keep an empty room at cold storage levels. Save that energy for the parts of the house you do use.

•Set your ceiling fans to run clockwise in the winter and counter-clockwise in the summer. This pushes hot air down in the winter while creating a breeze during the summer.

•Turn off lights, computers, and small appliances when not in use. In fact, unplug computers and small appliances you don’t plan on using for a while. Though they may be turned off, they still may be drawing power. (That little clock on the microwave isn’t exactly lighting itself.)

•And if you’re concerned about the overall efficiency of your home, the government’s Energy Star website has information so you can do your own DIY Home Assessment. You’llfind it right here.

It goes without saying that times are tough, but we hope these tips will help lighten your burden. And, what’s more, these tips mean you’ll be using less energy, which means not only to they help your budget, they’ll also help the environment.